Something's fishy about your seafood

A study that sampled fish sold in restaurants and grocery stores found that 20 percent of it was mislabeled as the wrong species.

Saturday, March 16th 2019, 12:01 AM EDT by Alex Howard

CAPE CORAL, Fla. - The seafood you're eating might be fishy for a different reason.

A new study from Oceana sampled fish sold in restaurants and grocery stores and found that 20 percent of fish was mislabeled as the wrong species.

The study sampled the DNA from 449 fish sold in 24 states, including Florida. It found that mislabeled fish were often similar species, like Florida's many species of snapper, or farm-raised fish confused with wild-caught ones.

“We are like a local mom and pop, and we like to do business with the same," owner Kerry Kreig said. "Boat captains we work directly with. They supply us with the freshest fish, and we pass it along to restaurants.”

Merrick's wholesale approach makes identifying fish easier. All the fish they buy comes certified and in accordance with FDA rules. This guarantees that the fish they are buying is the species they want.

“A lot of our fish is tagged, comes with documentation," Krieg said. "We can't just bring anything in. We are governed by [the] FDA, and we have to have records and everything is tracked. They’ll also stick a little cylinder in here to pull out the flesh to double check quality because we have high-end restaurants and chefs that will only accept the best.”

But not everyone follows the rules. James Fraser, a chef instructor at FGCU, knows that customers often don't get that same guarantee elsewhere.

“Who is to say whether it has been farm-raised or wild-caught salmon? It can be very difficult,” Fraser said.

Ultimately, Fraser said it's up to the consumer to make sure that what they are getting is legitimate.

"Consumers just have to be aware of what they are purchasing, who they are getting it from, what restaurants are using what providers... it’s up to them," he said.

According to Oceana, 90 percent of seafood eaten in the United States is imported from overseas, but that doesn't mean it's all mislabeled. If you want to make sure that the seafood you're eating is what you ordered, Oceana recommends that you take the time to learn what fish are in season in your area.

And if you want a local guide to seafood, Eat Local Lee has a map on its website to go by.